Torn Rotator Cuffs

If you’ve ever played baseball or softball — both big here in Midland — you might have either damaged your rotator cuff or have had a teammate who did so. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, keeping the head of your upper arm bone firmly within the shoulder socket. When it is injured, the patient has a dull ache that makes it difficult to sleep on the affected side. Sometimes rotator cuff tears come from a single injury, and these cases usually demand prompt attention.

What causes rotator cuff injury?

These injuries are either due to progressive degeneration or wear and tear of the tendon, or occur during a substantial shoulder injury. Repetitive overhead activity, heavy lifting over a prolonged period of time, and the development of bone spurs in the bones around the shoulder can all lead to rotator cuff damage.

These are factors that increase your risk:

Age— Rotator cuff injuries from progressive wear and tear are the most common in people over the age of 40.

Certain sports— Sports that involve rotating the hand and arm up and around in an overhead motion are prone to rotator cuff damage. These include baseball pitchers, tennis players, and volleyball hitters.

Construction jobs— Jobs where the person works over his or her head, such as painting or carpentry, can damage the rotator cuff.

Treating rotator cuff injuries

At Urgent Orthopedic Specialists, we offer conservative treatments for rotator cuff injuries. These include a regimen of exercises to strengthen the shoulder (these are usually used when patients have had previous issues with their rotator cuff).

Steroid injections can be helpful with some patients for alleviating the pain. They cannot be used often, however, as they can weaken the tendon.

Physical therapy can restore flexibility and strength to the shoulder, making it possible for the patient to avoid surgery.

There are many different types of surgeries for treating rotator cuff injuries. These include arthroscopic tendon repair, open tendon repair, bone spur removal, tendon transfer, and shoulder replacement.

Do you have shoulder pain when you sleep and when you rotate your arm overhead? You may have rotator cuff damage. Call us at Urgent Orthopedic Specialists, (432) 520-3020, and let’s take a look at it.